U.S. patent application number 15/480322 was filed with the patent office on 2017-09-21 for methods and devices for guidance and control of high-spin stabilized rounds.
This patent application is currently assigned to Omnitek Partners LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Jacques Fischer, Jahangir S. Rastegar. Invention is credited to Jacques Fischer, Jahangir S. Rastegar.
Application Number | 20170268859 15/480322 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56163753 |
Filed Date | 2017-09-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170268859 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rastegar; Jahangir S. ; et
al. |
September 21, 2017 |
Methods and Devices For Guidance and Control of High-Spin
Stabilized Rounds
Abstract
A method for deploying a control surface from an exterior
surface of a spinning projectile during flight is provided. The
method including: at least partially retracting the control surface
into an interior of the projectile for a portion of a full
revolution of the spinning projectile and extending the control
surface from the interior of the projectile for another portion of
the full revolution of the spinning projectile; and maintaining the
control surface in a same plane during the full revolution of the
spinning projectile.
Inventors: |
Rastegar; Jahangir S.;
(Stony Brook, NY) ; Fischer; Jacques; (Sound
Beach, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Rastegar; Jahangir S.
Fischer; Jacques |
Stony Brook
Sound Beach |
NY
NY |
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Omnitek Partners LLC
Ronkonkoma
NY
|
Family ID: |
56163753 |
Appl. No.: |
15/480322 |
Filed: |
April 5, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14822897 |
Aug 10, 2015 |
|
|
|
15480322 |
|
|
|
|
62035483 |
Aug 10, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F42B 10/64 20130101;
F42B 17/00 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F42B 17/00 20060101
F42B017/00; F42B 10/64 20060101 F42B010/64 |
Claims
1. A method for deploying a control surface from an exterior
surface of a spinning projectile during flight, the method
comprising: at least partially retracting the control surface into
an interior of the projectile for a portion of a full revolution of
the spinning projectile and extending the control surface from the
interior of the projectile for another portion of the full
revolution of the spinning projectile; and maintaining the control
surface in a same plane during the full revolution of the spinning
projectile.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the same plane is a horizontal
plane relative to the ground.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the control surface is fully
retracted into the interior and fully extended from the interior
one time for each full revolution of the spinning projectile.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control surface is fully
retracted into the interior and fully extended from the interior
one time for every n full revolutions of the spinning projectile,
where n is an integer greater than 1.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control surface comprises two
control surfaces, arranged 180 degrees apart relative to the
spinning projectile, wherein: each of the two control surfaces are
at least partially retracted into the interior of the projectile
for a portion of the full revolution of the spinning projectile and
extended from the interior of the projectile for another portion of
the full revolution of the spinning projectile; and each of the two
control surfaces are maintained in a same plane during the full
revolution of the spinning projectile.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control surface further
pitches around a longitudinal axis of the control surface.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control surface moves from a
retracted position to an extended position in translation.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the control surface moves from a
retracted position to an extended position in rotation.
9. A munitions comprising: a body having an interior; a control
surface movable between a retracted position at least partially in
the interior of the projectile to an extended position extending
from an exterior surface of the spinning projectile; means for at
least partially retracting the control surface into the interior of
the projectile for a portion of a full revolution of the spinning
projectile and extending the control surface from the interior of
the projectile for another portion of the full revolution of the
spinning projectile and for maintaining the control surface in a
same plane during the full revolution of the spinning
projectile.
10. The munitions of claim 9, wherein the control surface comprises
two control surfaces, arranged 180 degrees apart relative to the
body.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation Application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 14/822,897 filed on Aug. 10, 2015, which
claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/035,483 filed
on Feb. 10, 2013, the entire contents of each of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to guidance and
control systems, and more particularly, to methods and devices for
providing guidance and control of low and high-spin rounds.
[0004] 2. Prior Art
[0005] Guidance and control of high-spin stabilized rounds presents
major challenges. These challenges may be divided into two basic
categories. The first category includes the need for onboard
sensors for direct and precise measurement of the round
orientation, particularly in roll, for generating the required
control action. The need for precise roll angle measurement is
particularly critical for relatively short range direct fire
applications and for targeting during the terminal guidance phase
of larger frame munitions such as smart artillery and mortars. The
second category of challenges is related to the need for actuation
devices that are very low volume, do not rely on de-spinning of the
entire or a section of the round, can provide short duration
actuation for terminal guidance and occasional mid-flight course
correction as well as for continuously applied control action for
longer range munitions and dynamic retargeting, and that can
operate at spin rates of 200 Hz and possibly higher.
[0006] Since the introduction of 155 mm guided artillery
projectiles in the 1980's, numerous methods and devices have been
developed or are under development for guidance and control of
subsonic and supersonic rounds. These include different
technologies and related components such as actuation devices,
position and angular orientation sensors, and guidance and control
hardware and algorithms. The majority of these devices have been
developed based on missile and aircraft technologies, which are in
many cases difficult or impractical to implement on gun-fired
projectiles and mortars. This is particularly true in the case of
actuation devices, where electric motors of various types,
including various electric motor designs with or without gearing,
voice coil motors or solenoid type actuation devices used directly
to actuate control surfaces have dominated the guidance and control
of most guided weaponry. Thrusters of various types have also been
successfully employed. However, currently available thrusters are
suitable only for low or no-spin rounds due to their limitations in
terms of relatively long pulse widths and unpredictable actuation
delays as well as the required large volume and surface area that
needs to be covered to achieve enough number of actuation impulses
that are needed for high-spin round control action even for one
second of actuation control for terminal guidance purposes. Other
currently available actuation technologies developed for munitions
applications are suitable for non-spinning rounds or for rounds
with very low spinning rates.
[0007] Current guidance and control technologies and those under
development are not effective for flight trajectory
correction/modification of high-spin guided munitions. Such spin
stabilized rounds may have spinning rates of 200 Hz or higher,
which pose numerous challenging sensing, actuation and control
force generation and control algorithm and processing issues that
need to be effectively addressed using innovative approaches. In
addition, unlike missiles, all gun-fired spinning rounds are
provided with initial kinetic energy through the pressurized gasses
inside the barrel and are provided with flight stability through
spinning and/or fins. As a result, they do not require in-flight
control action for stability and if not provided with trajectory
altering control actions, such as those provided with control
surfaces or thrusters, they would simply follow a ballistic
trajectory. This is still true if other means such as
electromagnetic forces are used to accelerate the projectile during
the launch or if the projectile is equipped with range extending
rockets. As a result, unlike missiles, control inputs for guidance
and control is required only later during the flight and in many
cases as the projectile approaches the target.
[0008] In recent years, alternative methods of actuation for flight
trajectory correction have been explored, some using smart (active)
materials such as piezoelectric ceramics, active polymers,
electrostrictive materials, magnetostrictive materials or shape
memory alloys, and others using various devices developed based on
micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) and fluidics technologies. In
general, the available smart (active) materials such as
piezoelectric ceramics, electrostrictive materials and
magnetostrictive materials (including various inch-worm designs and
ultrasound type motors) need to increase their strain capability by
at least several orders of magnitude to become potential candidates
for actuation applications for guidance and control, particularly
for gun-fired munitions and mortars. In addition, even if the
strain rate problems of currently available active materials are
solved, their application to gun-fired projectiles and mortars will
be very limited due to their very high electrical energy
requirements and the volume of the required electrical and
electronics gear. Shape memory alloys have good strain
characteristics but their dynamic response characteristics
(bandwidth) and constitutive behaviour need significant improvement
before becoming a viable candidate for actuation devices in general
and for munitions in particular, even those with very low spin
rates.
[0009] All currently available actuation devices based on
electrical motors of various types, including various electrical
motor types, voice coil motors and solenoids, with or without
different gearing or other mechanical mechanisms that are used to
amplify motion or force (torque), and the aforementioned recently
developed novel methods and devices (based on active materials,
such as piezoelectric elements, including various inch-worm type
and ultrasound type motors), or those known to be under development
for guidance and control of airborne vehicles such as missiles,
suffer from the basic shortcoming of not being capable of providing
the dynamic response levels that are required for guidance and
control of high-spin rounds with spin rates of up to 200 Hz or
higher. This fact is readily illustrated by noting that, for
example, a round spinning at 200 Hz would undergo 72 degrees of
rotation in only 1 msec. This means that if the pulse duration is
even 1 msec and its unpredictable initiation time (pulse starting
time) is off by 1 msec, then the direction of the effective impulse
acting on the round could be off by over 90 degrees, i.e., when a
command is given to divert the round to the right, the round may
instead be diverted up or down. Such a level of uncertainty in the
"plant" (round) trajectory correction response makes even the
smartest feedback control system totally ineffective.
[0010] For guidance and control system of all gun-fired munitions
and in particular high-spin rounds in which even the problematic
de-spinning options are not practical, the only feasible actuation
options are either the proposed high-precision and very short
duration impulse based actuation devices or the proposed
intermittently deployed control surface or drag element based
actuation devices. For guidance and control system of all high-spin
rounds as well as for terminal guidance of all gun-fired munitions
and mortars, the most important sensory input is that of the roll
angle measuring sensor. Roll angle measurement in munitions has
been a challenge to guided munitions designers in general and for
high-spin rounds in particular. The currently available laser gyros
are impractical for use in munitions due to size, cost and
survivability as well as for initialization of the roll angle
measurement. Magnetometers are also impractical since they can only
measure angle in two independent directions, which may not be
aligned for roll angle measurement at all times during the flight.
Their angle measurement is also not precise and requires a local
map and is susceptible to environment in the field. Inertial based
gyros may be used, but require initiation at regular time intervals
to overcome initial settling and drift issues.
[0011] In summary, the currently available guidance and control
systems and their components suffer from one or more of the
following major shortcomings that make them impractical for
application to high-spin guided munitions: [0012] 1. Limited
dynamic response: The munitions with high spin rates demand control
actuation systems that can provide either very short duration
(sub-millisecond) impulses or intermittently deployed control
surface or drag producing elements with very precise timing in
order for the control action to be applied over a limited range of
munitions roll angle. For example when an impulse type actuation
device is being used in a round spinning at 200 Hz, if the control
actuation is to be applied over a 10 degrees range of roll angle,
then the control actuation must be applied for only around 0.14
milliseconds, or at an equivalent frequency of around 7,200 Hz.
This would obviously eliminate any of the aforementioned currently
available actuation devices for such high-spin round guidance and
control applications, even in the presence of a highly precise roll
angle measurement sensor. [0013] 2. Impulse type actuation timing
and duration: In addition to the above dynamic response
limitations, the fastest thruster or impulse type guidance and
control actuation devices that are currently available suffer from
two basic shortcomings: (1) actuation impulse timing precision; and
(2) impulse width precision. The first shortcoming is mainly due to
unpredictable delays in the initiation devices, while the second
shortcoming is mainly due to the relatively long pulse durations in
currently available impulse generator and thruster technologies.
[0014] 3. Control surface and drag-based actuation device: Current
control surface based as well as drag-based actuation devices are
usually used in either non-spinning rounds or are mounted in a
de-spun section of an otherwise spin stabilized round, which are
either impractical or highly costly in terms of volume and power
requirements in high-spin rounds. Intermittently deployed drag
generating elements have been used in spinning rounds but not with
high spin rates. Drag generation based control is however highly
inefficient since it would reduce the munitions range. In addition,
currently studied and available drag-based devices using solenoids
and voice coil motors consume large amounts of power and are
problematic in terms of dynamic response, volume requirement and
survivability. [0015] 4. Roll angle measurement: An effective
guidance and control technology for high-spin rounds requires
sensors for onboard measurement of the projectile roll angle. The
roll angle sensor has to provide the required precision and should
not be subject to drift or other similar effects that over time
during the flight causes error to accumulate and render roll angle
measurement unreliable. It is also appreciated that one may use
roll angle sensors that are subject to drift and exhibit relatively
long settling times, but in such cases, appropriate means have to
be provided for initialization of the sensors at regular time
intervals. [0016] 5. High power requirement: All currently used
actuation mechanisms working with electrical motors and/or
solenoids of different types as well as actuators based on active
materials, such as piezoelectric materials and electrostrictive
materials and magnetostrictive materials (including various
inch-worm designs and ultrasound type motors) and shape memory
based actuator designs, are only applicable to munitions with low
spin rates. But even in such applications, they demand high
electrical power for their operation. [0017] 6. Occupy large
munitions volume: One solution that has been employed or has been
considered for high-spin guidance and control has been de-spinning
the entire round or a section of the round where the control
surfaces or the like are positioned. As a result, the
aforementioned dynamic response issues are resolved. Such solutions
are, however, impractical for medium caliber munitions due to the
lack of space to provide the means to de-spin the round. Such
solutions are practical for larger caliber rounds, but even for
these cases they are highly undesirable for the following reasons.
Firstly, the actuation devices and mechanisms required for
de-spinning occupy a significant portion of the round volume. The
available volume for payload is also further reduced since fins or
other stabilizing means must also be provided to ensure stable
flight. As a result, the weapon lethality is significantly reduced.
In addition, a significant amount of power has to be provided for
de-spinning of the round. [0018] 7. High cost of the existing
technologies, which results in very high-cost rounds, thereby
making them impractical for large-scale fielding. [0019] 8.
Relative technical complexity for the implementation of the current
guidance and control technologies for high-spin rounds such as for
de-spinning of the entire round or its guidance and control
section, which results in increased munitions cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The methods and devices disclosed herein for guidance and
control of high-spin stabilized munitions include two classes of
novel actuation devices that are particularly suitable for
high-spin rounds. The first class of actuation concepts is based on
detonation of small amounts of charges to achieve short duration
impulses with highly predictable timing and duration. The second
class of actuation concepts is highly innovative and provides
intermittently deployed control-surface-based control action that
are driven by electric motors with rotary speeds that are a
fraction of the spin rate of the round. The deployed control
surfaces provide control action over a large range of roll cycle
while adapting to the roll angle positioning of the round to
maximize control action performance. The intermittent control
surface deployment mechanism may also be used to deploy drag-based
control elements in place of commonly used solenoids with orders of
magnitude increase in efficiency and dynamic response as well as
with orders of magnitude reduction in power consumption due to the
use of continuously rotating and balanced electric motors.
[0021] The control methods and devices disclosed herein for
guidance and control of high-spin stabilized munitions also
includes polarized RF sensors with electronic scanning reference
sources for onboard direct and precision measurement of roll angle
for control action timing and magnitude control. The provision of
onboard and precision roll angle information provides the means to
maximize the effectiveness of the applied control action and
minimize the actuation system size and power requirements. Also
provided is the related control algorithms that would account for
issues that are specific to high-spin rounds for achieving optimal
control action.
[0022] Not included in this disclosure are concepts that require
de-spinning of the entire or a section of the round since such
concepts have been shown to occupy a significant volume of the
round, thereby significantly reduce lethality; require a very large
amount of power to operate; are very costly to implement; and are
generally impractical for medium caliber munitions.
[0023] The guidance and control methods and devices disclosed
herein for guided high-spin munitions provide the following novel
features and basic characteristics: [0024] 1. Provide novel
integrated guidance and control technology concepts that would
address all major challenges that are currently facing guided
munitions designers for high-spin rounds, including provision of
two novel classes of actuation concepts and sensors for direct and
precision measurement of roll angle for closing feedback guidance
and control loop. [0025] 2. For control action, two novel classes
of concepts, one impulse-based and the other based on intermittent
deployment of control surfaces (or drag producing elements) are
proposed. [0026] 3. The first class of actuation concepts are based
on detonation of small amounts of charges to achieve short duration
impulses with highly predictable timing and duration. Unlike
commonly used thrusters in munitions, this class of impulse based
actuation devices are multistage, thereby occupying a fraction of
munitions volume and surface area for a desired number of actuation
impulses. This class of actuation device concepts provide very
short duration impulses with very high timing precision and
repeatability--of the order of 100-200 microsecond duration. The
proposed impulse-type actuation devices can provide impulses
equivalent (several pulses in one second) of 10 N-sec to 140 N-sec
for up to 2 milliseconds. For the development of the detonation
charges and its integration into the present impulse type actuation
devices, Omnitek has teamed up with Hanley Industries, a leading
developer and manufacturer of explosive charges and devices. [0027]
4. The second class of actuation concepts are highly innovative and
provide intermittently deployed control surfaces. This class of
actuation devices are powered by electric motors without requiring
de-spinning of the entire or even a section of the round. One of
the novel features of this class of intermittently deployed control
surface actuation devices is the capability of the actuation
mechanisms to be driven by electric motors that run at a fraction
of the spin rate of the round, thereby making them suitable for
very high spin rate applications. For example, the driving electric
motor of several of such proposed concepts can be driven at less
than one tenth of the sound spin rate, thereby requiring readily
achievable motor speeds of around 20 Hz (1,200 rpm) for a round
spinning at 200 Hz (12,000 rpm). When desired, the mechanisms for
intermittent deployment of control surfaces may also be used to
deploy drag-based control elements instead of commonly used
solenoids, thereby significantly increasing their dynamic response
while significantly reducing the size and power requirement due to
continuously rotating driving electric motors. [0028] 5. Provide
onboard sensors for direct and precision measurement of the round
roll angle to enable munitions guidance and control system to
precisely time the required control action for trajectory
correction/modification. For indirect fire applications where pitch
and yaw angles may also be required for guidance and control
purposes, the proposed angular orientation sensors can also be used
for their direct measurements. The sensors can also be used for
onboard position measurement without requiring GPS signals. The
sensory system is provided with innovative scanning reference
sources that can also be used to set up a full local position and
orientation referencing system for guided munitions, weapon
platforms, target designation, as well as for soldiers. [0029] 6.
The two detonation-based actuation concepts provide high impulse
levels with very short durations and with minimal unpredictable
impulse initiation and duration times to provide control action for
flight trajectory correction and/or modification for high-spin
munitions. The two concepts integrate a novel and very fast and low
power electrical initiation technology with multi-shot detonation
based impulse units to achieve very fast acting and short duration
impulses that can be timed with appropriate precision to provide
control action for the proposed novel guidance and control
technology. [0030] 7. The intermittently deployable control surface
actuation methods and devices disclosed herein provide
"quasi-continuous" control action with pitch control. They are
driven by continuously rotating electric motors that operate at
speeds that are a fraction of the round spin rate, thereby making
them suitable for spin rates of 200 Hz or even higher. When
desired, these intermittently deployed control surface concepts may
be used to generate lift type control action to minimally affect
munitions range or may be used to generate drag to generate
aerodynamic forces/torques. [0031] 8. The impulse-based actuation
devices require a fraction of one mJ of electrical energy to
operate for each impulse shot. The power requirement for the
intermittently deployed control surface based actuation devices is
also orders of magnitude less than currently used electrical motor
or solenoid driven actuation devices since they are driven mostly
at nearly constant rates, can be dynamically balanced to require
minimal force/torque to operate. The onboard polarized RF roll
angle sensors also require low power to operate since they are not
required to make continuous roll angle measurement since their
measurement is direct and free of error accumulation. [0032] 9. The
actuation devices disclosed herein can be readily hardened to
survive setback shock loading of well over 50 KG. The two
detonation-based actuation concepts are essentially integrated into
the structure of the munitions as load-bearing structures, thereby
occupy minimal added volume and can be designed to withstand shock
of well over 50 KG. The intermittently deployed control surface
based actuators use very small electric motors, similar to which
have already been used in gun-fired munitions. The control surfaces
as well as their deployment mechanisms are locked in placed during
the launch and deployed later during the flight. [0033] 10. The
actuation device methods and devices are very simple in design, and
are constructed with relatively few moving parts, thereby making
them highly reliable even following very long storage times of over
20 years. [0034] 11. The actuation device methods and devices are
very simple in design and utilize existing manufacturing processes
and components. As a result, the proposed actuation devices should
provide the means to develop highly effective but low cost guidance
and control systems for high-spin guided gun-fired projectiles.
[0035] 12. The guidance and control methods and devices, including
their actuation devices and roll angle sensors, are shown to be
scalable to medium as well as large caliber munitions. [0036] 13.
All components of the disclosed guidance and control methods and
devices, including their actuation devices and roll angle sensor
electronics, have been used in munitions and have been shown to
operate in the temperature range of -65 to 165 degrees F. [0037]
14. The guidance and control actuators can be used in both subsonic
and supersonic spinning projectiles.
[0038] A need therefore exists for the development of innovative,
low-cost guidance and control technologies for high-spin rounds
that address the aforementioned limitations of currently available
technologies in a manner that leaves sufficient volume inside
munitions for other components such as communications electronics
and fusing, as well as the explosive payload to satisfy the
lethality requirements of the munitions. The critical enabling
technologies for guidance and control of high spin munitions are
those related to precision roll angle measurement and to actuation
devices that can provide control action without requiring a section
of the round to be de-spun.
[0039] Such guidance and control technologies must consider the
relatively short flight duration for most gun-fired projectiles and
mortar rounds, which leaves a very short period of time within
which trajectory correction/modification has to be executed. Even
for longer range munitions, even though some control action may be
desirable in mid-flight but it is mostly required for terminal
guidance.
[0040] This means that for impulse based control actuation, such
devices must be capable of providing either very short duration
impulse-based actuation (of the order of 100-200 microseconds for
spin rates of around 200 Hz) at precisely prescribed and repeatable
roll angles--preferably within a range of less than 10 degrees.
This requirement translates to relatively large impulses of the
order of 10 N-sec to 140 N-sec for 100-200 microseconds for spin
rates of around 200 Hz and up to 2 milliseconds for low spin rates
of 10-20 Hz. In addition, to achieve an effective guidance and
control system for high-spin rounds, the system roll sensor must
also be very accurate (precision of the order of 1-2 degrees or
better) to be capable of providing initiating and/or
synchronization timing for the impulse actuation.
[0041] For intermittently deployed control surface and drag
producing type actuation devices, current technologies require
electric motors or solenoids to deploy the control element during a
very small portion of the round roll, preferably at most 30-60
degrees, i.e., during 1/12.sup.th to 1/6.sup.th of a roll cycle.
This means that the driving motor or solenoid must rotate at
several times the spin rate of the round. For example, if a
solenoid is used for such deployments, one cycle of solenoid action
would correspond to 1/12.sup.th to 1/6.sup.th of the round cycle,
therefore requiring a dynamic response of 2400 to 1200 Hz from the
solenoid for rounds with a 200 Hz spin rate, which is not realistic
to expect. Similarly high rotation rates are required for current
electric motor driven intermittently deployed actuation
devices.
[0042] The actuation methods and devices, the feasibility of which
were studied as part of the present Phase I SKR efforts, may be
divided into two distinct classes, those that are impulse based and
those that are based on intermittent deployment of control surface.
The latter group may also be used to deploy drag generating
elements to produce the desired control action. The drag-based
control action is not emphasized in the present proposal due to the
aforementioned shortcoming of such devices in reducing the
munitions range. The Phase I feasibility studies of this project
presented later in this proposal clearly indicate the feasibility
of the proposed concepts to be developed as part of the project
Phase II efforts.
[0043] The guidance and control methods and devices and their
components must also consider problems related to hardening of
their various components for survivability at high firing setback
shock loading, high spin rates and the harsh firing environment.
They must also be scalable to medium caliber rounds. Reliability is
also of much concern since the rounds need to have a shelf life of
up to 20 years and could generally be stored at temperatures in the
range of -65 to 165 degrees F.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0044] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
apparatus and methods of the present invention will become better
understood with regard to the following description, appended
claims, and accompanying drawings where:
[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates a multi-stage slug-shot impulse base
control actuator.
[0046] FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate another embodiment of a
multi-shot impulse actuator.
[0047] FIGS. 3a-3e illustrate an operation of intermittently
deployed control surfaces for guidance and control of smart and
guided high-spin rounds.
[0048] FIGS. 4a-4g illustrate a deployment of intermittently
deployed control surfaces during half of the spin cycle.
[0049] FIG. 5 illustrates an isometric view of the double-crank
intermittently deployed control surface actuator for guidance and
control of high speed guided and smart munitions.
[0050] FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the double-crank
intermittently deployed control surface actuator for guidance and
control of high speed guided and smart munitions of FIG. 5.
[0051] FIGS. 7a-7f illustrate the control surface deployment and
retraction linkage mechanism with parallel link orientation
retainment cam.
[0052] FIG. 8 illustrates isometric view of the double-cam operated
intermittently deployed control surface actuator for guidance and
control of high speed guided and smart munitions.
[0053] FIG. 9 illustrates side view of the intermittently deployed
control surface actuator of FIG. 7.
[0054] FIGS. 10a and 10b illustrate side views of the
intermittently deployed control surface actuator of FIGS. 8 and 9
as partially and fully retracted by the device cams.
[0055] FIGS. 11a illustrates a side view of the first alternative
cam operated intermittently deployed and retracting control surface
actuator (left) and FIG. 11b illustrates an isometric view of the
double sided cam.
[0056] FIG. 12 illustrates side view of the deployed control
Surfaces.
[0057] FIG. 13a illustrates a side view of the second alternative
cam operated intermittently deployed and retracting control surface
actuator and FIG. 13 b illustrates an isometric view of the
cams.
[0058] FIG. 14 illustrates a side view of the control surfaces
deployed by the pair of cam surfaces provided on the rotating cam
disc (FIG. 13--left).
[0059] FIG. 15 illustrates a frontal view of the cam-mechanism
operated intermittently deployed and retracted control surface
actuator in deployed configuration.
[0060] FIGS. 16a-16e illustrate the deployment and retraction cam
motion during four full spin cycles of the round and one rotation
cycle of the arm of the driving planetary gear.
[0061] FIG. 17 illustrates a frontal view of the fixed gear driven
intermittently deployed and retracted control surface actuator in
deployed configuration.
[0062] FIGS. 18a-18e illustrates a control surface deployment and
retraction cycle during one full spin cycle of the round and
corresponding one-half rotation cycle of the gear platform.
[0063] FIG. 19 illustrates a frontal view of the gear-pinion driven
intermittently deployed and retracted control surface actuator in
deployed configuration.
[0064] FIGS. 20a-20e illustrate a control surface deployment and
retraction cycle during one full spin cycle of the round and
corresponding 90 degrees rotation cycle of the main gear.
[0065] FIGS. 21a and 21 b illustrate opposing isometric views of a
polarized RF sensor.
[0066] FIGS. 22a and 22b illustrate a back and side view,
respectively, of the sensors of FIGS. 21a and 21b disposed on a
munition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0067] The design and operation of the aforementioned two classes
of actuation concepts for guidance and control systems of high-spin
guided munitions, will now be described. The first class of
actuation concepts are based on detonation of small charges to
achieve short duration impulses with highly predictable timing and
duration. The second class of actuation concepts provide
intermittently deployed control-surface-based control action with
pitch control that are driven by electric motors with rotary speeds
that are a fraction of the spin rate of the round. The deployed
control surfaces provide control action over a large range of roll
cycle while adapting to the roll angle positioning of the round to
maximize control action performance. The intermittent control
surface deployment mechanisms may also be used to deploy drag-based
control elements in place of commonly used solenoids with orders of
magnitude increase in efficiency and dynamic response as well as
with orders of magnitude reduction in power consumption due to the
use of continuously rotating and balanced electric motors.
Multi-Stage Slug Shot Impulse Based Control Actuators
[0068] The schematic drawing of such a novel slug-shot impulse
based guidance and control actuator for high-spin rounds is shown
in FIG. 1 and generally referred to by reference numeral 100. To
generate a very short duration shot, the endmost (largest) slug 102
is ejected by igniting the charge 104 behind it (initiator not
shown in figure for the sake of clarity). The pressure of the
burning propellant will rise until the threads which engage the
plug 102 to the housing tube 106 fail, allowing the slug 102 to be
ejected (shot) and the high-pressure propulsion charge 104 to flow
into the lower-pressure surrounding atmosphere, thereby generating
a very short duration and high amplitude impulse. The two remaining
charges 108, 110 are protected against sympathetic initiation by
the second (middle) threaded slug 112. When the next slug 112 is
commanded to fire, the process will be identical to that of the
first slug 102. The second slug's 112 smaller diameter will ensure
that the second slug 112 does not have a long path of mangled
threads to interfere with its exit path. The third slug 114 will
fire and be ejected similarly.
[0069] It is noted that in FIG. 1 the diameter of the second 112
and third slugs 114 are shown to be significantly smaller than the
diameter of the front slug for the purpose of clearly demonstrating
the present concept. In an actual device the diameter of each slug
needs to be only slightly small than those in front to clear the
threaded portions that it has to pass through. In addition, less or
more than three slugs may also be employed. It is also noted that
the main purpose of the thread is to ensure that pressure and
temperature builds up behind each slug following ignition of the
charges and thereby increasing the speed of burn and increasing the
level of generated impulse. A previous one-shot impulse actuation
device design and testing efforts has shown that the impulse-based
actuation device can provide impulses equivalent to (several pulses
in one second) 10 N-sec to 140 N-sec for up to 2 milliseconds.
[0070] Solid-state electrical initiation devices with safety
circuitry and logic in collaboration have been tested to show
initiation of the secondary pyrotechnic material in 10-15
microseconds. Several of these miniature and very low power
initiation devices can be distributed around the aforementioned
detonation charges to achieve very short duration, high impulse
level, reliable, and highly predictable (within a maximum of 10-15
microsecond) pulses.
Multi-Shot Impulse Thrusters Based Control Actuators
[0071] A schematic drawing of a typical multi-shot impulse thruster
for guidance and control of high-spin rounds is shown in FIGS. 2a
and 2b, and generally referred to by reference numeral 200. This
thruster concept is a modification of the aforementioned
multi-stage thruster technology. This modification is intended to
significantly increase the generated impulse, decrease its duration
and make it more predictable. This is accomplished as described
below.
[0072] This multi-stage impulse actuation device 200 is constructed
with several "impulse" units 202 (in this case three such units).
Each unit 202 is packaged in a relatively solid pyrotechnic housing
204, within which is packaged the primary propellant charges 206.
Each unit is capped with a relatively brittle cap 208 with scored
frontal face, such that back pressure generated by the ignition of
the primary propellant charges would shatter the cap into small
enough pieces that could be discharged through the thruster nozzle
210. In operation, the front impulse unit is first initiated. The
initiation is achieved electrically by the initiation of the
aforementioned low-energy and very fast electrical initiation (not
shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b for clarity), with unfolding wires
provided through a side channel to each impulse unit. Following
initiation of each impulse unit, the next impulse unit is pushed
forward by the aft compressively preloaded spring 212, for the
purpose of ensuring minimal volume space in which the gasses
generated by each impulse unit have to expand, thereby increasing
pressure and temperature at which the generated gasses begin to
exit the nozzle 210 to produce actuation impulse. The impulse unit
caps 208 have dual purpose, firstly to prevent sympathetic ignition
of the next impulse units, and secondly to allow pressure and
temperature rise inside the initiated impulse unit before the
generated gasses are released into the nozzle volume, thereby
increasing the rate of propellant burn and decreasing the generated
impulse duration and to make impulse timing more predictable.
Intermittently Deployable Control Surface Concepts for Guidance and
Control Actuation
[0073] This class of actuation concepts are highly innovative and
provide intermittently deployed control surfaces for control
action. These actuators are driven by electric motors with rotary
speeds that are a fraction of the spin rate of the round. The
deployed control surfaces are designed to provide control action
with pitch control during the flight over a large range of the
munitions roll cycle while adapting to the roll angle positioning
of the round to maximize control action performance. This class of
actuation devices will provide a quasi-continuous fin or canard
lift based control action for high-spin rounds, thereby making them
suitable for short as well as longer range guided and smart
gun-fired munitions without affecting their range.
[0074] The basic operation of this class of intermittently deployed
control surface actuation devices in a spinning round 300 during
the flight is shown in FIGS. 3a-3e. In FIGS. 3a-3e and from left to
the right the round is shown during the flight during one cycle of
its roll in 90 degrees rotational increments. A pointing triangle
302 drawn on the base of the round 300 indicates its relative roll
angle positioning of the round 300.
[0075] As can be seen in FIGS. 3a-3e, in the first position
indicated in FIG. 3a, the control surfaces 304 are fully deployed.
In this position, the roll angle position indicator triangle 302 on
the base of the round 300 is at its up position. Then as the round
300 rotates in the clockwise direction as shown by the arrow 306 by
90 degrees to the position indicated in FIG. 3b, the control
surface 304 is slowly retracted into the round 300. The control
surfaces 304 remain retracted for 180 degrees through the roll
positions indicated in FIGS. 3c and 3d. Then from the roll
positioning indicated in FIG. 3d up to the completion of one roll
cycle indicated in FIG. 3e, the control surfaces 304 are again
deployed. As a result, during half of a full roll angle cycle, the
control surfaces 304 are deployed and retracted once.
[0076] In this class of intermittently deployed actuation devices,
control surfaces 304 are deployed only during a certain range of
roll angle positioning of the round and are retracted during the
remaining range of the roll angles. For example for the full spin
cycle of FIGS. 3a-3e, the control surfaces 304 would begin to be
deployed from around the roll positioning in FIG. 3d, providing
fully deployed control surfaces 304 at the roll positioning in FIG.
3e. Then from the roll positioning in FIG. 3e--which is the same
positioning indicated in FIG. 3a--to the roll positioning in FIG.
3b, the control surfaces 304 are retracted. The control surfaces
304 will then remain contracted until the indicated roll
positioning at FIG. 3d, when the above cycle begins to be
repeated.
[0077] To achieve as close to maximum performance as possible, the
developed intermittently deployable control surface concepts have
to provide at least one of the following two basic
capabilities.
[0078] The first capability is related to the provision of the
means of keeping the deployed control surfaces as close to their
optimal lift generation direction as possible. For maximum
effectiveness during each cycle of deployment, the control surfaces
must obviously also be deployed during as much of the spin cycle as
possible. For example, if the desired direction of the lift is in
the vertical direction, then the control surfaces are desired to
stay as close to a horizontal plane as possible during their entire
period of deployment which is also desired to be as large a portion
of the full spin (roll) cycle as possible. Such an intermittently
deployed control surface feature is shown in the longitudinal view
of a spinning round 400 shown in FIGS. 4a-4g. In FIGS. 4a-4g, the
round position from its initial position in FIG. 4a is shown where
the control surfaces 402 are fully retracted. This roll position of
the clockwise rotating round is marked by the indicated triangle
404. As can be seen, during the entire deployed phase from FIG. 4(a
to FIG. 4g, which corresponds to half of round spin (roll) cycle,
the control surfaces 402 stay in the indicated horizontal (or
whatever prescribed) plane, thereby keeping the direction of the
lift vector fixed, i.e., upward in the case of FIGS. 4a-4g.
[0079] In the schematics of FIGS. 4a-4g, the control surfaces 402
are shown to begin to continuously deploy from the indicated
position in FIG. 4a, becoming fully deployed after 90 degrees of
spin (roll) as indicated in the position in FIG. 4d. The control
surfaces 402 are then continuously retracted from the position in
FIG. 4d, until after another 90 degrees of roll, the control
surfaces 402 are fully retracted as shown in the position in FIG.
4g. Then during the remaining 180 degrees of roll from the position
shown in FIG. 4g to that of FIG. 4a, the control surfaces 402
remain retracted. It is noted that while deployed, the control
surfaces 402 undergo their motion while staying parallel to the
prescribed direction to keep the generated lift is at its maximum
and in the prescribed upwards direction.
[0080] The second capability is related to the provision of the
means to vary the control surface pitch angle to make it possible
to provide a continuously varying lift, i.e., control action, for
the guidance and control system.
[0081] To make intermittently deployable control concepts suitable
for high spin rounds, such as those with spin rates of up to 200 Hz
and even higher, a further and important feature would be the
capability to deploy the control surfaces during one cycle of roll
and skipping one or more cycles of the roll. This capability would
provide the means to run the control surface deployment mechanism
at speeds that are significantly lower than the spin rate of the
round and would thereby allow higher spin rates to be
accommodated.
[0082] Another general feature that is desirable for almost all
intermittently deployable control surface base control action
devices for guidance and control of high spin rounds is their
capability of being driven by electric motors at lower speeds than
the round spin rate and that they should run at relatively constant
speed to minimize their power requirement.
[0083] In addition, almost all intermittently deployable control
surface base control action devices for guidance and control of
high spin rounds must be capable of being activated as well as
deactivated at the desired time during the flight.
[0084] In the following section, a detailed design of several
intermittently deployable control surface devices for guidance and
control of high speed rounds are presented. Such devices are those
with the highest potential for successful development for the
indicated ranges of spin rates. The specific features of each
design that might make them more suitable for different caliber
guided munitions and the results of calculations of their
performance are also presented and their general size and volume
requirements are also provided. Double-Crank Operated
Intermittently Control Surface Deploying Mechanism
[0085] A design of the first intermittently deployed control
surface based actuation device for guidance and control of high
spin rounds is shown in the FIGS. 5 and 6, generally referred to by
reference numeral 500. In FIG. 5 an isometric view of the device
500 is shown with all its covers removed to show the internal
components of the device. The structure of the device is considered
to be an integral part of the intended high spin stabilized
projectile body. The indicated control surface driving motor 502a
and pitch control mechanism driving motor 502b are both double
shaft motors that are attached to the structure (body) 504 of the
spinning round. One shaft of the control surface drive motor is
attached through the indicated set of driving gears 506 to the
crankshaft 508a that deploys one control surface 510a and the other
shaft to the crankshaft 508b that deploys the opposite control
surface 510b. The pitch control motor 502b also has a double shaft
and is used to rotate the pitch control mechanism arms 512a, 512b,
FIG. 6, which would in turn translate upward the corresponding
pitch control mechanism link 514a, 514b on one side of the control
surface orientation holding mechanism 516 and downward the control
surface orientation holding mechanism 516 on the other side of the
control surface orientation holding mechanism 516, FIG. 5, thereby
providing the means to vary the pitch of both control surfaces
510a, 510b.
[0086] The operation of the control surface deployment and
retraction mechanism for a munition 700 is here described using the
kinematic diagram of the mechanism shown in FIGS. 7a-7f. The
mechanism is shown to be a five-bar linkage mechanism with a cam
702 that is used to reduce its degrees-of-freedom from two to one,
while forcing the control surfaces 704 to move in parallel during
the spin (roll) cycle of the round 700 (as shown schematically in
FIGS. 4a-4g). In the kinematic diagram of FIGS. 7a-7f, the
deployment and retraction mechanism of only one of the control
surfaces 704 is shown in different positioning of the input crank,
which is driven by the indicated driving motor and its gearing (see
FIG. 5).
[0087] As can be seen in view FIG. 7b, the control surface linkage
deployment and retraction mechanism is a "four-bar" linkage with
one of the grounded links varying as the opposite grounded link is
driven by the electric motor attached to the round 700. Here, the
ground is intended to indicate the structure (spinning body) of the
round. In this mechanism, as the said length varying link 706
rotates relative to the round, the control surface orienting cam
702, which is fixed to the round, will force the indicated cam
follower 708 to vary the length of the link, thereby causing the
coupler link 710 to which the control surface is attached to
rotate. In this mechanism, the control surface orienting cam 702
profile is designed such that as the round rolls, the deployed
control surface, i.e., the coupler link 710 of the "four-bar"
linkage, translate in parallel, thereby be oriented as was shown in
FIGS. 4a-4g. The control surface orientation while retracted is
arbitrary and is designed to minimize dynamic forces acting on the
mechanism to allow higher speed motions. In FIGS. 7a-7f, the
provided triangle 712 is considered to be fixed to the round. The
configuration of the fully deployed control surface is shown in
FIG. 7a. Then as the round rotates 45 degrees, FIG. 7b, the control
surface 704 is continuously retracted while the cam mechanism
forces the control surface 704 to undergo parallel translation. The
control surface 704 is then fully retracted, FIG. 7c, as the round
spins from 45 to 90 degrees roll angle. The control surface 704
will then continue its motion inside the round from 90 to 270
degrees roll angle, FIGS. 7c through 7e, respectively, and then
begins to be oriented parallel to its deployed orientation, FIGS.
7a and 7f, and around 325 degrees roll angle it begins to be
deployed while staying parallel to its desired deployed orientation
of FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7f.
[0088] It is noted that several different implementations of the
basic intermittently deployed control surface actuation devices
shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are possible and optimal for different
caliber munitions and spin rate. The design shown in FIGS. 5 and 6
is developed for 81 mm rounds and can therefore be readily scaled
to the munitions caliber. This design is not suitable for medium
caliber rounds without major modifications.
Double-Cam Operated Intermittently Control Surface Deploying
Mechanism
[0089] The design of the second intermittently deployed control
surface based actuation device for guidance and control of high
spin rounds is shown in the solid model views of FIGS. 8 and 9,
generally referred to by reference numeral 800. In FIG. 8 an
isometric view of the device is shown with all its covers and shell
structure either removed or are made transparent to show the
internal components of the device. The structure of the device is
considered to be an integral part of the intended high spin
stabilized projectile body. The indicated control surface driving
motor 802 drives a gear box 804 which would in turn drive two
control surface deployment cams 806 via double counter-rotating
inner and outer shafts. In a more compact design, the cams are
mounted on the same gearbox shaft and the profile of the follower
section of the rotating control surfaces are designed to achieve
the same control surface motion. The pitch control mechanism
driving motor 808 is a double shaft motor which is used to
simultaneously vary the control surface pitch angles of both
control surfaces 810 to achieve a smooth and symmetrically
operating mechanism. Both said motors and gear box are attached to
the structure (body) 812 of the spinning round.
[0090] In the intermittently deployable control surface concept of
FIGS. 8 and 9, the mechanism cams 806 are used to retract the
control surfaces 810 while a spring 814 is used to simultaneously
deploy the control surfaces 810. In FIGS. 10a and 10b, the control
surfaces are shown as they are partially and fully retracted by the
aforementioned cams 806, respectively.
[0091] The pitch control motor 808 is used to rotate the input link
of the pitch control linkage 816, FIG. 8, which is effectively a
four-bar linkage mechanism, which would in turn rotate a rotating
shaft of the control surface 810 to vary its pitch. The control
surface shaft is connected to the control surface deployment arm
818 via a swivel joint to allow it to rotate to deploy and retract,
as well as rotate (about a perpendicular direction) for pitch angle
adjustment.
[0092] It is noted that in the intermittently deployed control
surface mechanism of FIGS. 8-10a and 10b, the mechanism cams are
used to retract the control surfaces while the indicated spring
element is used to rapidly deploy the control surfaces. It is
obvious that the role of these elements can be reversed, i.e., the
cams may be used to deploy the control surfaces and the spring to
retract them.
[0093] It is noted that in the intermittently deployed control
surface mechanism of FIGS. 8-10a and 10b and clearly observed in
FIGS. 10a and 10b, during each roll (spin) cycle of the round, the
control surfaces are deployed and retracted once. This means that
the control surface driving cams have to rotate at the same speed
as the round spin rate. However, by providing multiple
deploy/retract profiles on the control surface retract/deploy cams,
the required speed of the cams can be proportionally reduced. For
example, by providing three such deploy/retract profiles on the
control surface retract/deploy cams, the required rotational speed
of the cam will be reduced by a factor of three, thereby making the
mechanism suitable for higher spin rate munitions. It is noted that
the function of the gearbox is to lower the required motor speed.
Therefore at relatively low spin rates (order of 40-50 Hz), the
gearbox can be eliminated and the cams can be driven directly by
the control surface driving motor.
[0094] It is noted that different implementations of the basic
intermittently deployed control surface actuation devices shown in
FIGS. 8-10a and 10b are possible and optimal for different caliber
munitions and spin rate. The design shown in FIGS. 8-10a and 10b is
developed for 81 mm rounds and can therefore be readily scaled up
to larger caliber munitions or down to medium caliber munitions.
This design concept allows for longer control surfaces and due to
its mode of operation, it can be readily adapted for use in medium
caliber spinning rounds. Two such modified versions of the
intermittently deployed control surface actuation devices, one more
suitable for larger caliber and one more suitable for medium
caliber rounds are disclosed next. First alternative cam-operated
intermittently deploying control surface mechanism
[0095] In this alternative cam operated mechanism for
intermittently deploying control surfaces, all features of the
design are identical to those of the design shown in FIGS. 8-10a
and 10b, except for the design of its deployment and retraction cam
mechanism which is shown in FIGS. 11a, 11b and 12. In the side view
of FIG. 11a, the control surface deploying and retracting cam disc
900 is shown to be provided with a single pair of control surface
cams 902, which in this configuration is positioned between the
control surface lever followers 904, forcing them into retracted
configuration. Then as the cam disc driving motor 906 rotates the
cam disc 900 further, the pair of control surface cams 902 (see
FIG. 11b right) are rotated out of engagement with the control
surface lever followers 904, and the control surface deploying
spring (814 FIG. 9) would rapidly deploy the control surfaces 810
as shown in the side view of FIG. 12. The control pitch angle
adjustment mechanism is identical to the concept presented in FIGS.
8 and 9.
[0096] In the isometric view of FIG. 11b, the cam disc 900 is
provided with three pairs of control surface cams 902. By using
such a cam disc instead of the its one cam pair of version of FIG.
11a, during each three cycles of spin, the cam disc 900 has to
rotate only once. This means that the cam disc driving motor 906
speed would need to be one-third of that of the round spin rate.
Obviously by increasing the number of pairs of control surface cams
902, the required rotary speed of the cam disc 900 and its driving
electric motor 906 can be proportionally further reduced.
Second Alternative Cam-Operated Intermittently Deploying Control
Surface Mechanism
[0097] In this alternative cam operated mechanism for
intermittently deploying control surfaces, all features of the
design are identical to those of the preliminary design shown in
FIGS. 8-10a and 10b, except for the design of the deployment and
retraction cam mechanism. This control surface deployment and
retraction mechanism is shown in FIGS. 13a, 13b and 14.
[0098] In the side view of FIG. 13a, the control surface deploying
and retracting cam disc 1000 is shown to be provided with a single
pair of control surface cams 1002, which in this configuration is
shown to be positioned 90 degrees away from the control surface
lever followers 1004. In this design, the control surface deploying
cams 1002 provide the means to deploy retracted control surfaces
810 as shown in FIG. 14. Here as the cam disc driving motor 1006
rotates the cam disc 1000 further, the pair of control surface
deploying cams 1002 engage the control surface lever followers
1004, and cause them to rotate and deploy the control surfaces 810.
In this design, the control surface deploying spring 814 of FIG. 9
has the function of providing the required retracting forces.
[0099] In FIG. 13b, the cam disc 1000 is shown with two pairs of
control surface cams 1002. By using such a cam disc instead of the
one with only one pair of control surface cams shown in the side
view of FIG. 13a, during each two cycles of round spin, the cam
disc 1000 has to rotate only once. This means that the cam disc
driving motor 1006 speed would need to be one-half of that of the
round spin rate. Obviously by increasing the number of pairs of
control surface cams 1002, the required rotary speed of the cam
disc 1000 and its driving electric motor 1006 can be proportionally
further reduced. The pitch angle varying mechanism is identical to
the concept of FIGS. 8 and 9.
Cam-Mechanism Operated Intermittently Deploying Control Surface
Concept
[0100] The basic design of this intermittently deployed control
surface based actuation device for high spin rounds is shown in the
frontal view of FIG. 15, generally referred to by reference numeral
1100. In this design, the deploying control surfaces 1102 are
driven by a four-bar linkage mechanism. The mechanism of keeping
the control surfaces 1102 oriented for parallel motion as the round
1100 rolls is as shown in FIGS. 4a-4g is not shown but is designed
to rotate the control surfaces 1102 which are hinged to the coupler
link 1104 via a cam 1106 fixed to one of the grounded links. The
pitch control is also achieved using a mechanism similar to the
mechanism shown in either FIGS. 4a-4g or FIG. 8. One control
surface deployment mechanism assembly is used for each control
surface 1102.
[0101] It is noted that in this design concept, the planetary gear
1108 and driving motor assembly is connected to the round
structure. In addition, the control surfaces 1102 are deployed from
the same site at all times, thereby the size of the opening on the
round becomes small. In the concept of FIG. 15, each planetary gear
1108 rotated cam 1106 is used to push against the indicated
follower 1110 mounted on the indicated mechanism link. The
resulting "outward" rotation of the link 1112 will then deploy the
control surface 1102 while the round is at the desired roll angle.
The retraction of the link is achieved by the pulling of the
provided preloaded tensile springs (not shown for clarity).
[0102] One of the main advantages of this concept is that the
deploying cam profile can be designed to work with the selected
gear ratio of the planetary gear such that after several full spin
cycles the control surfaces are deployed only once. Such a design
makes it possible to accommodate very high spin rates. For example,
if the mechanism is designed to deploy and retract the control
surfaces once every four full spin cycles of the round, then the
deployment and retraction drive has to run at one-fourth of the
spin rate. For example, if the round is spinning at 200 Hz, then
the electric motor driving the control surface deployment and
retraction system has to operate at 50 Hz, which is considerably
easier to achieve.
[0103] In the present disclosure, such a control surface deployment
and retraction mechanism can be designed in which during four full
spin cycles of the round the control surfaces are deployed only
once. The control surface deployment cam 1106 and its planetary
gearing 1108 is shown in FIGS. 16a-16e. The driving motor is
considered to be driving at one-fourth the spin rate and is driving
the planetary gear arm 1108. The triangular marking 1114 on the
planetary gear arm 1108 shows its orientation relative to an
observer on the ground. In the position of FIG. 16a, the planetary
gear arm 1108 is shown to be positioned with its triangular marking
1114 pointing to the left. Then after one full spin cycle of the
round (i.e., after the round has rolled 360 degrees), the planetary
gear arm rotation at one-fourth of the spin rate has turned 90
degrees as shown in the FIG. 16b. At this point, the cam 1106 has
been retracted (from the control surface deployed position shown in
FIG. 15 i.e., from FIG. 16a). After a second full spin cycle of the
round, the planetary gear arm 1108 has rotated 180 degrees, FIG.
16c, and after another full spin cycle, the planetary gear arm has
rotated 270 degrees, FIG. 16d. Then during the next spin cycle of
the round, at some point the cam will begin to deploy the control
surface 1102, reaching at its full deployed position after the
first full rotation of the planetary gear arm 1108 has been
completed as shown in the FIG. 16e. The control surface 1102 will
then begin to be retracted as the round begins to undergo its next
full cycle.
Fixed Gear with Driven Platform with a Double-Gear Train Control
Surface Deployment and Retraction Mechanism
[0104] The basic design of this intermittently deployed control
surface based actuation device for guidance and control of high
spin rounds is shown in the frontal view of FIG. 17, generally
referred to by reference numeral 1200. In this design concept, the
deploying and retracting control surfaces 1202 are attached to the
outer gears (pinions) 1204 that are mounted on a motor driven gear
platform 1206. The control surface pinions 1204 are engaged with
the main gear 1208 via idler gears 1210 as shown in FIG. 17. The
main gear 1208 is fixed to the round and as a result with the
selected gear ratios, the control surfaces 1202 always exit from
the provided openings in the round shell. In this section, the
mechanism of keeping the control surfaces oriented to undergo
parallel motion as the round rolls as shown in FIGS. 4a-4g is not
shown for the sake of saving space but is designed to rotate the
control surfaces 1202 which are hinged to the outer pinions 1204
via cams driven by the idler gears 1210. The pitch control is also
achieved using a mechanism similar to the mechanism shown in either
FIGS. 4a-4g or FIG. 8.
[0105] There are two features of this design that makes it suitable
for high spin round applications. Firstly, since the main gear 1208
is fixed to the round, with proper gear ratios, the control
surfaces 1202 deploy at the same location on the round, requiring
small openings for deployment. Secondly, similar to the previous
section, with properly selected gear ratios, after several full
spin cycles of the round, the control surfaces are deployed only
once. Such a design will similarly make it possible for the present
mechanism to accommodate very high spin rates.
[0106] In the disclosure, the gear ratio of the control surface
deployment and retraction mechanism was selected for control
surfaces to deploy once during each two spin cycles of the round.
The control surface deployment cycle during one full cycle of spin
is shown in FIGS. 18a-18e. The driving motor is considered to be
driving the gear platform at half the spin rate. The triangular
markings on the main gear and the gear platform show their relative
position.
[0107] In FIG. 18a, the gear platform 1206, the round (and its
attached main gear 1208) are shown in their indicated positioned by
triangular marking 1212, all pointing upwards. Then after 90
degrees of spin shown in the FIG. 18b, the control surfaces 1202
are withdrawn and the gear platform 1206 has been rotated 45
degrees relative to the main gear 1208 (and round). After 180
degrees rotation of the round, FIG. 18c, the gear platform 1206 has
rotated only 90 degrees relative to the main gear 1208. After 270
and full roll of the round shown in FIGS. 18d and 18e, the gear
platform 1206 is shown to have rotated 135 and 180 degrees,
respectively. As a result, during one full spin cycle, the gear
platform 1206 and its driving motor has made only half a turn. It
is noted that the control surface orienting cam will prevent
deployment of FIGS. 18c-18d, thereby ensuring that during each two
full spin cycles of the round, the control surfaces 1202 are
deployed and retracted only once.
Gear Driven Mechanism with Round-Fixed Pinions for Control Surface
Deployment and Retraction
[0108] The basic design of this intermittently deployed control
surface based actuation device for guidance and control of high
spin rounds is shown in the frontal view of FIG. 19, generally
referred to by reference numeral 1300. In this design concept, the
deploying and retracting control surfaces 1302 are attached to the
gears (pinions) 1304 that are mounted onto the round structure
1306, thereby ensuring that the control surfaces 1302 deploy
through the same opening area of the round at all times. The
control surface pinions 1304 are engaged with the main gear 1308
which is driven by a motor attached to the round structure 1306.
The gear ratio between the main gear 1308 and the pinions 1304
determines the number control surface deployment per cycles of
round spin. In the example shown in FIG. 19, the gear ratio results
in one cycle of control surface deployment per four cycles of round
spin. As a result, the main gear 1308 has to be driven at
one-fourth of the spin rate. Here, the mechanism of keeping the
control surfaces 1302 oriented to undergo parallel motion as the
round rolls as shown in FIGS. 4a-4g is not shown for saving space
but is designed to rotate the control surfaces 1302 which are
hinged to the pinions 1304 via cams also driven by the main gear.
The pitch control is also achieved using a mechanism similar to the
mechanism shown in either FIGS. 4a-4g or FIG. 8.
[0109] This concept also enjoys the two features of the previous
concept, making it suitable for high spin round applications.
Firstly, since the control surface gear 1304 is fixed to the round,
the control surfaces 1302 always deploy at the same location on the
round, thereby requiring small openings for control surface
deployment. Secondly, by proper selection of the gear ratio, after
several full spin cycles of the round, the control surfaces 1302
are deployed only once. Such a design will similarly make it
possible for the present mechanism to accommodate very high spin
rates.
[0110] In the disclosure, the gear ratio of the control surface
deployment and retraction mechanism can be selected such that the
control surfaces 1302 are deployed once every four spin cycles. The
control surface deployment cycle during one full cycle of spin is
shown in FIGS. 20a-20e. The driving motor is driving the main gear
1308 at one-fourth of the spin rate. The triangular marking 1310 on
the main gear 1308 and the triangular marking 1312 on the round
show their relative position as the round rolls.
[0111] In FIG. 20a, the main gear 1308 and the round are in the
positions indicated by the triangular markings 1310, 1312 (pointing
upwards). Then after 90 degrees of spin, FIG. 20b, the control
surfaces 1302 are withdrawn and the main gear 1308 has rotated 22.5
degrees relative to the round. After 180 degrees rotation of the
round, FIG. 20c, the main gear 1308 has rotated 45 degrees relative
to the round. After 270 and full roll of the round shown in FIGS.
20d and 20e, respectively, the main gear 1308 is shown to have
rotated 67.5 and 90 degrees, respectively. As a result, during one
full spin cycle, the main gear 1308 and its driving motor have
rotated only 90 degrees or one quarter of a turn.
Novel Intermittently Deployable Drag Element Concepts for Guidance
and Control
[0112] The intermittent control surface deployment mechanisms
described in the previous section may also be used to deploy
drag-based control elements in place of commonly used solenoids and
voice coil motors with orders of magnitude increase in efficiency
and dynamic response as well as with orders of magnitude reduction
in power consumption due to the use of continuously rotating and
balanced electric motors.
[0113] In general, only a single such drag deploying mechanism is
needed in a round since it can be deployed at the required roll
during each and every spin cycle or after one or more spin cycles
depending on the design of the drag element and the amount of drag
that it produces during each deployment. The shape and size and
duration is dependent on the spin rate and size of the round and
the amount of diverting drag force that is desired to be
generated.
[0114] It is noted that as was described in the introduction
section, drag element deployment based actuation guidance and
control is generally not highly desirable for most munitions since
it decreases the munitions range. However, in those applications in
which the reduction in the range can be tolerated, then the methods
and concepts described above may be used in place of the currently
used methods to achieve highly efficient and low power drag based
guidance and control action for high spin rounds.
The Novel Roll Angle Measurement Sensor
[0115] Polarized RF angular orientation sensors 1400, such as those
disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,587,473; 8,259,292; 8,258,999;
8,164,745; 8,093,539; 8,076,621 and 7,425,918 are constructed with
geometrical cavities that operate with scanning polarized RF
reference sources in a configuration shown in FIGS. 21a and 21b. In
this sensory system, a polarized RF reference source transmits
electromagnetic waves with polarization planes parallel to the
Y.sub.refZ.sub.ref plane of the reference coordinate system
X.sub.refY.sub.refZ.sub.ref. When the reference source is used to
scan a prescribed pattern, the measured signal at the sensor cavity
positioned, for example, on the base of the projectile, and the
pattern of the signal provides the actual roll angle orientation of
the sensor relative to the reference source onboard munitions (see
indicated patents for detail).
[0116] Through modeling and computer simulation, anechoic chamber
and range tests, such polarized RF sensory system allows the roll
angle of high-spin rounds to be measured with high precision
directly onboard munitions in line-of-sight as well as
non-line-of-sight conditions. In general, due to symmetry in the
propagated electromagnetic wave, "up and down" of the rolling
projectile orientation cannot be differentiated. This issue can be
readily resolved for spinning rounds as described below (see U.S.
Pat. No. 8,587,473).
[0117] In the simplest concept, a polarized RF reference source
transmits electromagnetic waves with polarization planes parallel
to the Y.sub.refZ.sub.ref (i.e., the horizontal) plane of the
Cartesian reference coordinate system X.sub.refY.sub.refZ.sub.ref
shown in FIGS. 21a and 21b. Two identical polarized RF cavity
sensors 1400 are embedded into the projectile 1402 at angles
.beta..sub.1 and .beta..sub.2 as shown in FIGS. 22a and 22b. Each
one of the sensors 1400 can be used to measure the roll angle with
an appropriately patterned scanning reference source, but without
being able to differentiate "up and down" as previously indicated.
However, since the reference source is on the ground, by making the
angles .beta..sub.1 and .beta..sub.2 significantly different, at
each of their horizontal roll angle positioning, the one that is
more closely lined up with the direction of the reference source
will receive larger amplitude signals. By comparing the relative
amplitudes of the received signals, up and down orientation of the
round in roll is thereby differentiated. In addition, since the
actual angles (31 and 132 are known, the difference between the
(average) magnitudes of the two measured signals would provide an
indication of die projectile pitch angle.
Pulsed Actuation Impulse Magnitude and Dynamic Response
[0118] The actuations concepts, including the multi-stage
slug-shot; multi-stage impulse thruster; and the intermittently
deployed control surface actuation device concepts provide pulsed
control action with very high dynamic response characteristics.
[0119] The multi-stage slug-shot and the multi-stage impulse
thruster based control action producing devices for guidance and
control of munitions are impulse producing actuation devices which
are based on detonation of small charges that are initiated with
highly reliable electrical initiators. The electrical initiators
have been shown to be capable of providing detonation within 20-50
microseconds, thereby making them suitable for high spin munitions
applications. The slug-shot impulse actuation providing around 10
N-sec with sub-millisecond durations have been designed and tested
and with higher energy explosive charges are expected to provide
significantly larger impulse and shorter duration, thereby
considering that several of these impulses can be provided per
second during each revolution of the munitions, it is obvious that
these multi-stage pulsed actuation devices can readily be sized to
provide the required impulses in the range of 10 N-sec to 140
N-sec. The multi-stage slug-shot and the multi-stage impulse
thruster based control actions are suitable mainly for terminal
guidance applications due to the limited number of units that can
be provided on each round.
[0120] The intermittently deployed control surface based control
actions for guidance and control of munitions can be readily sized
to provide equivalent of 10-140 N-sec impulse levels and even
significantly higher equivalent impulse levels for control action,
particularly by providing them as canards. The quasi-continuous
control action provided by such actuation concepts can be used a
portion or the entire flight. The control action is also readily
varied by varying the control surface pitch. The control surface
based control actions are particularly suitable for longer range
munitions since they would minimally affect range.
[0121] As it was previously discussed, the mechanisms used to
intermittently deploy control surfaces can also be used to deploy
drag elements to produce control action. In general, drag based
control action would cause the munitions range to be reduced.
However, in applications that such effects can be tolerated, one
may also use the developed concepts to generate drag-based control
action. In such applications, the pitch control mechanism may be
used to vary the level of generated drag.
[0122] While there has been shown and described what is considered
to be preferred embodiments of the invention, it will, of course,
be understood that various modifications and changes in form or
detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of
the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be not
limited to the exact forms described and illustrated, but should be
constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the
scope of the appended claims.
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